On February 20, son of Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray group) MLA Prakash Phaterpekar’s son Swapnil allegedly attacked singer Sonu Nigam after a concert. Nigam was performing at the Chembur Festival, organised by MLA Prakash Phaterpekar. MLA’s son allegedly misbehaved with Nigam’s manager Saira and asked her to leave the stage.
As per reports, when Nigam was leaving the event venue from backstage, Swapnil approached him for a selfie. The singer refused the same, after which he tried to take selfies forcefully. His bodyguard came in between to protect Sonu. Nigam’s associates also tried to stop him, but Swapnil pushed them. In the video, Nigam’s associates could be seen falling off the stairs. Rabbani is the son of Sonu Nigam’s guru and mentor Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan.
A video of the incident has gone viral on social media. A case has been filed under Sections 341, 337 and 323 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Speaking to the media, Nigam said he had filed a complaint as people should understand that forcing someone to get a selfie is wrong. He said, “I was asked to get a selfie, to which I refused. The person grabbed me. Later I came to know he was Swapnil Phaterpekar. My close associate Hari Prasad came to my rescue, and Swapnil pushed him too. I was also pushed. When Rabbani came to save me, he was pushed as well. He narrowly escaped serious injuries. Rabbani was lucky there was no metal [where he fell].”
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Hemrajsingh Rajput said, “After a live concert, Sonu Nigam was coming down from the stage when a man held him. After objection he pushed Sonu Nigam & two other men with him from the steps, one of those two men sustained injuries. The accused’s name is Swapnil Phaterpekar.” He added, “As per interaction with Sonu Nigam, the incident didn’t seem to be intentional, it was done by a single person. The volunteers then controlled the situation. Only one name in FIR. It’s just a case where the singer was held by the accused maybe due to the intention of having a photo.”
